Environmental stress is threatening life in the sea

Ocean acidification is already happening today, and will become a growing problem unless the world reduces CO₂ emissions. What are the effects of this process on key organisms in food chains? And what will be the combined impacts of rising CO₂ levels, higher temperatures and an expansion of oil and gas activities?

A rise in the atmospheric concentration of CO₂ results in greater uptake of CO₂ by the oceans. This changes environmental conditions by lowering the pH of seawater. A lower pH makes it more difficult for marine organisms to form calcareous shells and skeletons, and also affects many other physiological processes.